The present application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application 2000-337843, filed Nov. 6, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle AC generator for a passenger car, a truck or some other vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the engine compartment has become narrower and narrower, and there is a limited space for a vehicle AC generator. In addition, such a vehicle AC generator is subjected to severer engine heat.
A conventional vehicle AC generator employs a screw bolt for connecting a stator winding and a rectifier unit. The screw bolt is fastened by a fastening tool at a portion perpendicular to the axis of the AC generator. Therefore, it is necessary, but difficult, to provide a space for accommodating such a tool.
Therefore, a main object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle AC generator which can provide a tool space for the screw bolt in spite of a limited mounting space of the AC generator.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle AC generator that provides efficient cooling performance.
According to a feature of the invention, a stator winding is connected to a rectifier unit by one of means of welding, soldering and clamping, and a rear frame has a stay having a fixing surface disposed at the rear of said electric components. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a space for screwing a screw bolt to connect the rectifier unit and the stator winding.
According to another feature of the invention, the stay has forking link portions, the rear frames has an air discharge window between the link portions, and the rotor has a cooling fan disposed at a rear end thereof. Therefore, cooling air is discharged from the discharge window and guided by the stay, and the discharged cooling air will not return to any of air intake windows, so that efficient cooling can be provided.